As Canicula, the hot time here, breaks I find myself bubbling with excitement as I get started on a few different fermentation projects. I've got a happy ginger bug under way as well as: my first batch of saurkraut. It all started with a head of cabbage, glass jars and a few tablespoons of salt.
This thing costed my 15 pesos and made me two quart jars of kraut...hopefully. I'll know for sure in a week or so.
I removed the outer leaves to reduce any chances of contamination.
Look at all those layers, to be pounded then packed into jars.
Finely chopped. I followed a recipe that recommended 1-3 tablespoons per head of cabbage, so I used 2.5 for my first run with this one.
Then I used this jar to pound it for awhile. The idea is to release enough water to cover the cabbage so that you don't have to add any water to the fermentation. I was surprised at how much cabbage the water held. A meat mallot would help too.
This is it about halfway through, when I really started to notice some moisture. It took about ten minutes and all my frustrations for the day were pounded away into the saurkraut, I'm not kidding.
I was left with a sense of accomplishment for what I had accomplished, which was pretty much just enough.
I jarred them up and used some of the leaves I didn't cut up, torn into round shapes to help hold down the cabbage pieces. I did one so well that it didn't even need a weight, the other one did which was good because I only have one functional reliable option for that. You just don't want the kraut to hit the surface or it'll introduce mold. Supposedly you can still eat that, but I'm not interested in risking my health needlessly. I'll change my mind if I can find some proof its harmless.
I put them on plates on this shelf in our extra bedroom, now empty as our friend has gone home. The plates are to catch any spillover as kraut commonly bubbles over especially if it's filled to high, which these likely are. I'll keep a watch on them, I'm hoping for the best and will keep you all posted!
Check out some of my other recent posts!
A Walk Down the Coastera: Sunday Night Stroll
Acapulco Botanical Garden Adventures: Wet Season Visit Part 3
Acapulco Botanical Garden Adventures: Wet Season Visit Part 2
